Stargate fans received welcome news today with the announcement that MGM and Warner Bros. intend to reboot the franchise with a proposed trilogy, and they’re partnering with the original production team of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin to do it, Variety reports.
Described as “one of the biggest titles in MGM’s vast library” by CEO and Chairman Gary Barber, the original film followed the story of a band of soldiers and an archeologist who travel to a distant planet after unlocking an ancient artifact, the titular Stargate . A major hit when it was released in 1994, Stargate went on to spawn three spinoffs of varying success: Stargate: SG-1 , Stargate: Atlantis , and Stargate: Universe .
Emmerich is set to direct the new Stargate , with Devlin in the producer’s chair. In a statement reported by Deadline , the pair expressed their excitement at the prospect of re-entering the Stargate :
“The Stargate universe is one that we missed terribly, and we cannot wait to get going on imagining new adventures and situations for the trilogy. This story is very close to our hearts, and getting the chance to revisit this world is in many ways like a long lost child that has found its way back home.”
Their enthusiasm was echoed by Barber, who said in his own announcement that MGM “couldn’t be more excited to once again partner with Roland and Dean, the world-class creators of the original ‘ Stargate, ‘ to bring their reinvigorated vision of this wildly popular property to audiences of multiple generations.”
Though there is no official word about when the new Stargate movie will go into production, fans will likely have to wait some time, according the The Hollywood Reporter . Emmerich is currently working on a gay rights drama, Stonewall , while also handling the highly anticipated ID Forever Part 1 and Part 2, sequels to 1996’s Independence Day . Devlin, meanwhile, is involved in his directorial debut Geostorm , leaving open the question of when the two will approach Stargate .
While fans will no doubt speculate over whether original Stargate actors Kurt Russell and James Spader will reprise their roles, scheduling could be a conflict, at least for Spader: as The Inquisitr previously reported, he has been cast in the upcoming Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron .
The original Stargate set an October record and totaled over $200 million in ticket sales. Stargate: SG-1 , the first spinoff, had a wildly successful ten year run which led not only to the two other Stargate series, but also a pair of companion films, Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum .
[Image via Gatecast]
